A Message from Meryl Gruber, Director of Education
" . . . and
the study of Torah is equal to all other Mitzvot"
Mishna, Peah. 1:1.
Our tradition tells us that the study of
Torah is equal to everything else in Jewish
life. Toward that end, and recognizing the role
the synagogue plays in the education of our
children, we at Bet Shalom have developed a
well-balanced curriculum, taught by dedicated,
nurturing teachers. The overall goal of our
educational program is to provide our students
the opportunity to create a strong Jewish
identity and develop the skills needed for
lifelong learning through the acquisition of
knowledge of Jewish life, ritual, values,
experiences and celebrations as well as the
study of Israel and Hebrew. We also want our
students to feel that they are part of a "Family
of Friends" and we strive to develop a community
in the classroom.
Reform Judaism is a living and evolving
movement. The world needs knowledgeable Jews who
live by Jewish values. The survival of Judaism
depends upon our understanding of Judaism and
the ability to pass this knowledge on to our
children. This allows each Jew to choose to be a
part of that history and tradition in a way that
is meaningful to them. Jewish Education is the
shared responsibility of the family, community
and school. The school provides opportunities to
study Hebrew, History, holidays, Torah and other
sacred texts, ethics and more during our
regularly scheduled classes. We rely on the
family to support their child's studies by
making religious school a firm commitment within
the context of their family's life, supporting
homework and class projects, celebrating
holidays and Shabbat both at home, in school and
in the synagogue and by participating in family
education opportunities such as our Shabbatonim
and Sixth Grade Tikkun Olam Program. Our
students are also encouraged to participate in
our youth groups.
We have developed a curriculum, which involves
our children from preschool through
Confirmation. Pre Kindergarten students through
Grade 2 attend school once a week. Grades 3-7
attend twice a week. This is the time that our
students begin their formal study of Hebrew.
Because we believe that Hebrew is an essential
component of Jewish Education, all of our
students are required to study Hebrew for a full
five years. Grades 8-Confirmation attend once a
week on Wednesday evenings and are involved in a
program in which students attend a core class
and then may choose from several electives.
We are fortunate to have wonderfully dedicated
teachers who are supported by our rabbis,
myself, and our Assistant Education Director. In
addition we are fortunate to have many Madrichim
(teaching assistants) helping in the classes of
younger students.
We encourage and invite you to be an active
participant in your child's Jewish Education. We
are always open to your comments and
suggestions.
Meryl Gruber
Director of Education
